DORSET - A New York man has been cited for unlawful mischief after police said he was found vandalizing the grounds of a local quarry.Timothy Sweetman, 43, of Broadalbin, N.Y., was found in the quarry, off Route 30, on July 23 cutting down brush and trees. Sweetman was cited to appear in Bennington criminal court on Sept. 22.

Broadalbin is almost 70 miles from Dorset.

Police began investigating around the Fourth of July weekend after the quarry’s owner, Dick McDonough, complained that someone had been cutting down what he described as “substantial” amounts of brush without his knowledge or permission.

McDonough said there were stacks of dead vegetation that had been left on his property which cost him a lot to have hauled away.While McDonough said at the time that he wanted to keep the quarry open and free for the public to use, he said that if the vandalism continued, he would be forced to consider closing it.

In a statement, McDonough said he hoped the arrest would any further similar incidents.

“We have allowed the public to share and enjoy the Dorset quarry for over 15 years. While maintaining the quarry and keeping it open has posed a number of challenges, the fact that some individual(s) took it upon themselves to cut down hundreds of trees and bushes, without our permission, was extremely disturbing. Whoever did the extensive cutting has compromised the safety of quarry users by opening up areas of greater risk. We sincerely hope that the recent arrest by the (Vermont) State Police will act as a deterrent against further wrongdoing and misbehavior in the quarry,” he said.

NOTE: This story has been edited to include McDonough's statement which was received after deadline on Thursday.